


The Life of Zuko - ATLA Modern AU Series

by TheSingerOfSouls



Series: ATLA Modern AU [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Gen, Kataang - Freeform, Sukka, TheGaang, ThePoetryPals, Zutara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29327700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSingerOfSouls/pseuds/TheSingerOfSouls
Summary: Warning: These stories will contain depression, anxiety, self harm, abuse, and other heavy and emotional topics. Read with care and take a break if the stories begin to affect you too much emotionally or get too heavy.This is the first part of a series that will cover all your favorite characters from Avatar the Last Airbender. These stories are set in a modern AU, adapting the live of the Gaang to fit in a modern high school setting. I hope these stories will touch you, make you smile and cry, help you laugh on the bad days and feel good on the good ones. The story is sad in many parts, but it is a story of life. Of hurting and breaking and learning how to heal again and find your way in the world. In these stories I will do my best to capture these parts of life that we all face in the characters you have come to love.This first part of the series is about Zuko. It starts before he was born, and follows him throughout high school to the beginning of his senior year. What happens after then is up to you.Credit goes to the Poetry Pals (you guys know who you are) who are incredible friends. Together we created this AU and their personalities and imaginations are what truly brought these ideas to life.
Relationships: Former Jetara, Former Kataang - Relationship, Platonic Toko - Relationship, Sukka - Relationship, Zutara - Relationship
Series: ATLA Modern AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2154162
Kudos: 3





	The Life of Zuko - ATLA Modern AU Series

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The Poetry Pals](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=The+Poetry+Pals).



Zuko woke to a loud alarm and a bright flashing orange light to accompany it. He groaned as he sat up in bed, lethargically stumbled across the room, and turned off his alarm. The temptation to go lay right back in bed was strong, but he resisted, instead turning on the light and squeezing his eyes shut because it was much too bright. He waited for a few moments to allow his eyes to adjust, then continued with his morning routine. Brush teeth in the bathroom, shower, apply deodorant, get dressed. He paused a moment to look in the mirror before doing his hair.

Seeing his scarred face always brought back hundreds of memories. Painful ones of when he first was hurt. Wonderful ones too, of when his scar healed and his soul learned to heal too. When he was younger, he hated that burnt face in the mirror, the one that always screamed to others of the challenges he faced in his life. But he had come to learn to love that face. For that face was his. It belonged to a young man who had found his place in the world. A young man who had incredible friends, was doing well in school, and found a family all his own. That face was his, for better or for worse, and it was a symbol of not only what few things he had lost, but what amazing things he had gained through not giving up. That scar on his face was a scar of hope.

The smell of Iroh’s magnificent tea wafted through the crack under the door. Zuko took a deep breath, then began to wrestle with his hair. Though many other guys seemed to be able to control their hair effortlessly, Zuko often had to wrestle with it, and used quite a bit of progress to get it to cooperate. Once he was satisfied, he left the bathroom, grabbed his backpack, phone, and earbuds, and headed downstairs. A soft green jumped at the corners of his vision as he heard Iroh laugh, which was shortly followed by the dark magenta of Azula’s voice. Iroh stood in the kitchen, looking joyful as always, with his apron already on and a cup of tea waiting for Zuko on the counter next to him. Azula sat at the table with a cup of water and a bowl of cereal. Iroh handed Zuko his cup of tea, then glanced at Azula. She did not love tea as much as he would hope, and always drank water in the mornings for some reason, which seemed rather dull when compared to the vibrant girl who preferred the simple drink over tea or another elegant beverage.

Azula threw a bagel and Zuko, and her magenta jumped at the corners of his vision when she laughed as he fumbled with the bagel and almost dropped it. The color accompanied her voice again as she told him she was heading to the car and asked him to hurry. Zuko shoved the bagel into his mouth, picked up his backpack and graciously accepted a brown bag lunch that Iroh had prepared for him. He then quickly ran outside into the cold morning air, hopped into the car, and started it up. Zuko always let Azula pick the music for their ride to school, and she commonly surprised him with her wide range of music. They smiled and chatted during the short drive. As soon as they parked, Azula quickly hopped out to go catch up with some friends who were walking nearby. Zuko sat for a moment in the car, just appreciating the fact that he was alive.

He liked to take a moment every morning to appreciate life. Days went by so fast, and Zuko noticed that if he didn’t take a moment to breathe once in a while, he would miss so much of life. After taking a moment to meditate, he checked his phone. Katara had sent him a cheerful “Good morning!” with a kiss. Zuko responded with his own “Goodmorning,” and told her to have a great day (in case he wasn’t able to see her before lunch). He then got out of the car and started walking to the school, reflecting on his life and the many events that had brought him to where he was today...


End file.
